Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-08
M.INxOCENT NAN.
Robert Thomas Confined In tho idaho
P~enitentiary for . Crime he Never
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Thomas Confnsd In tho idaho
P~enitentisry for . Crime he Never
Committsd.
About q year ago q man named Robert
Thomas. who drove an express wagon
here. concluded to pull up stakes and 60
Ho owned three horses and q
wagon. and in order to travel cheap de-
ciied to use his team instead of rail. About
tho time he was ready to start on his
two other persons, Sullivan and
Donnelly by name, applied for passage,
their monetary affairs not permitting OF
their travelling in q Pullman ar. They
were accepted as passengers. and the trio
on their journey to Ogden. that
being the terminus of their destina.
ton by wagon. Everything went smooth
until the party reached Eagle Rock. Idaho.
The first night there they went into camp
about q mile below the town. After sup
per had been prepared and eaten, Sullivan
and DonnelIy left camp and went into town,
Thomas remaining in camp to take care OF
the outfit. Yhe men who left camp did not
return till quite late. Sometime during the
night q safe in q butcher shop in Eagle
Rock
WAS BLOWN OPEN
and it's contents, about $40, taken by the
burglars. Suspicion rested on the strangers,
as is nearly always the case. and the next
day the three men were arrested and taken
before the court and q preliminary hearing
given them. 1t was proven that Sullivan
and Donnelly hac been there during
kk4 ~suh% h,,k M @rn sou IhnmQa
All three were bound over to appear before
the Grand Jury to answer the charge OF
burglary. The Grand Jury indicted the
men, and their cases we're called for trial
They were not fixed financially to stand
such q siege. and the county paid a lawyer
$50 to defend them, which he did to the
best OF his ability or until he thought he
had %expounded $50 worth Of legal advice.
All three were convicted OF the crime and
sentenced, Sullivan and DonDelly receiving
fourteen years each in the Penitentiary.
and Thomas eight years. During the pro-
gress of the trial or before he was taken
attack of hemorrhage OF the lungs and
thought his last hour on earth had arrived.
He called one Of the clerks OF the court ia
him and said that he wished to make a
confession of the whole business, as he had
but q short time to live. He said that Don
nelly and himself had done the safe blow
ing, Thomas having or showing nothing
about it; that he (Thomas)
WAS AN INNOCENT MAN.
After the affidavit was made and sworn to,
Sullivan did not die quite so fast as he had
expected and hoped he would. He re-
manned sick a short time and then began to
rally and entirely recovered. Sullivan,
Donnelly and Thomas were taken to the
penitentiary, the two former to serve sen
tence for q crime committed. and the latter
for the Of}ense of the others.
Thomas was we'll and favorably known
in Butte. He was an industrious
and honest man, and had his illluck occur.
red here instead of among strangers, it is
safe to say that he would nave received diff
ferent trea1 ment. It is the same old Dog.
Tray story-he fell among thieves.
A few days ago The MINER made mention
that Judge Lippincott and Attorney Thos'
Campbell had gone to Blackfoot on PROBES
sional business. They, as friends OF Thomas,
vent there for the purpose OF examining the
evidence adduced at the trial. They sue.
ceeded in getting hold of enough to satisfy
them and the balance of Thomas friends
here that he is an innocent a They in.
tend to stay with the case until justice is
done-Thomas rel. ased from the peniten.
tiary. The warden Of the prison in which
the man is confined say he is positively
sure that Thomas is Innocent; that he has
had several talks with him. .nd that each
time he becomes more certain that he has
under his charge a man who never com
United a crime.
Thomas property, which consisted ol
three horses and wagon and some other
things, were taken on an attachment by
the butcher whom it a claimed he had
robbed. An endeavor will be made to re.
cover that also.